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With all of the new additions relatively experienced and signed to improve the first team, that means some of the younger members of Levein’s squad will head out on loan to get more regular football on top of playing for Andy Kirk’s reserve side.

That process began last week with Chris Hamilton and Connor Smith joining Cowdenbeath on development loans until January.

More could join them over the next couple of weeks. With four senior strikers ahead of him in the pecking order, Aidan Keena is a potential candidate to be loaned out. He did well for Dunfermline last year and another short-term loan to the Championship could be of benefit.

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Dario Zanatta and Anthony McDonald both enjoyed success last season at Alloa and Inverness respectively. At least one could still be farmed out, but again Walker’s injury may mean Levein wants to keep any cover in the wide areas, at least until Callumn Morrison returns to fitness.

Harry Cochrane has only featured against Cowdenbeath in the Betfred Cup group stages for the first team this season. With competition in the middle of the park now fierce, a loan could prove useful at this stage of the 18-year-old’s development.

New loans manager Gary Naysmith will be heavily involved in deciding who goes where and for how long after being appointed to the role earlier this month.

Levein explained that he perhaps was too quick to loan players out last season, which is why he’s waited until later in the window this time around.

“Some of the younger ones will go out,” he confirmed.

“Last year I got caught a little bit by letting them go out a wee while before the window closed and we got injuries.

“That caused issues so it will be a wee bit later before they go out this time.”

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